The funeral service began with Carolyn Corlew, a longtime backup singer for The Charlie Daniels Band (CDB), singing the Bible hymn, “The Lord is My Shepherd / 23rd Psalm.” A color guard followed with a march to Daniels’ casket with the U.S. and Tennessee flags, while former U.S. Marine Mark “Oz“ Geist recited the pledge of allegiance.
SiriusXM’s Storme Warren led the service, sharing his love and admiration for Daniels who he has long considered his hero and the reason he moved to Nashville.
Throughout the morning, Warren introduced several guest performers who took the stage to pay tribute to the late Country Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry member. Trace Adkins performed the patriotic “Arlington,” while Vince Gill crooned through “Go Rest High on That Mountain,” and “America the Beautiful.” Travis Tritt led the congregation in “Amazing Grace.” Accompanied on piano by Michael W. Smith, Gretchen Wilson honored Daniels with gospel classic “I’ll Fly Away.”
Speakers included former U.S. Navy SEAL David Rutherford, tenured CDB roadie Roger Campbell, and Daniels’ longtime manager David Corlew. World Outreach Church pastor Allen Jackson eulogized the legendary singer.
Famous friends in the crowd included fellow southern rock staple Doug Gray, lead singer of The Marshall Tucker Band, Randy and Mary Travis, David Lee Murphy, Rudy Gatlin, John Conlee, Deborah Allen, Mark Wills, Henry Paul of BlackHawk/The Outlaws fame, Scooter Brown, and country music media personality Keith Bilbrey.
Following the service, Daniels was buried at Mt. Juliet Memorial Gardens in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee.
Watch the full service HERE.
Daniels passed away on Monday, July 6, at Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tennessee. Doctors determined the cause of death was a hemorrhagic stroke. He was 83. The beloved singer is survived by his wife, Hazel Daniels; son Charles William Daniels and Alaya Nowling and Evan Tubb, whom Daniels considered his grandchildren, as well as “grandbuddies” Taylor Corlew Jenkins and Bailey Wheeler.
Was a blessing at a sad time to learn such a Godly, loving, sharing, respectful of America, it forces, its greatness and a man who gave credit and understood and lived it that God was to be rewarded for every song Charlie ever sang, every tour, every success he endured in life came from God. I could go on but just want to say thank you Charlie Daniels and thank you God for Charlie Daniels and for placing him in a community so close to one who never personally knew Charlie. I highly respect the good of this man and his life. Both religiously, politically, in the end of a life that served so widely and lifted God giving credit to him for all he had and accomplished in his 82 years. RIP Charlie, a Godly man who lived so close and I never had the pleasure to meet and shake hand with.